Should I have been more afraid?

[jchapman3]

Greetings. This is my first time to the dive board, although my dive buddy has talked about it since we started our confined water together.

I got the dive itch in 2000 when I went on a PADI resort dive off the big Island of Hawaii. Green Turtles, moray's, an octopus that VANISHED in a cloud of black ink, and 3 black tip sharks sleeping on the bottom... not bad for my first 2 dives...

The itch stayed dormant until I had a chance to go to Grand Cayman this year with some friends. So I found a dive shop and got myself certified...I was going to do it right this time.

When I got to GC, I found 2 dive shops associated with the resort; the one that was recommended to me (and the same brand name as the shop in Hawaii) was booked solid for the first 3 days I was there; and suggested I try the other shop. When I got there, I explained that not only was I brand new C-Card holder... my open water dive was in a rock quary in Texas with vis about 3 feet ...my C-Card hadn't seen blue water yet. "No problem...we'll take care of you".

Day 1.
My very first blue water dive was off a dive boat on a 100' wall dive with 8 other souls. (for those of you gasping at THIS point... save it...it gets better.) I told the dive master that we'd need to do a BC since all my previous dives were fresh water. He had me get in last. By the time we got my weight squared away, most of the other divers were at or near depth. I was rocked by the surface trying to descend and the free descent over the 5000' foot drop got my heart rate WAY up and panic started to set in. About then, the voice of my dive instructor came in on the PA in my head "get it under control or abort. Now." I got my breathing under control...kept my dive computer firmly in my field of view and started to decend...I found 100' and joined the tail end of the group; However, i'd consumed a lot of my air. My dive "buddy" was well infront of me and never looked back. Before the dive, the dive master (doubling as boat captain) gave instructions for the 1/2 tank sign and said we were to let him know when we hit that point so he could monitor our consumption. At 1/2 a tank, I was not able to get his attention (or anyone elses)...I watched my air. At 1200 lbs I did get his attention and let him know where I was and that I would start my deco...thank GOD for my dive computer...it told me everything I needed to do...and where...and for how long. I deco'd alone but within site of the group. I broke the surface with 800 lbs in my tank.

The second dive for the day was at 54'. A nice reef dive through some cool breaks and tubes cut in the coral. I had decided before this dive that if it didn't go better, I was done for this trip. The second dive was easy...no panic on the decent, good air control; I had fun...still the first one on the surface though.

Day 2.
Another 100' wall dive. We're drifting' this time; after a brief explaination on the procedure, we descent together. I gracefully descended over the 5000' shelf, watching for 100' again; with no panic. I had an easy descent (and much to my instructor's pleasure when he reads this...hovering at my desired depth was a sinch). We drifted along the wall; better air control, and I made an effort to stay closer to the dive master since my assigned "buddy" was on his own trip. At 1200 lbs, I get the dive masters attention, signal that I will follow the group at my deco depth...i'm the first one on the surface again...my dive computer kept me at depth, yelled at me when I went above or below my deco depth...good thing I had it...it's the only buddy/advice I had; and interestingly, it was a the fortune of a raffle ticket an Octoberfest in the Dive shop parking lot 2 weeks before my trip that allowed me to have it.

The second dive was another 50' reef dive...I was in heaven...lots to see...lots to do. I concentrated on my air this dive (the first dive I was able to really concentrate on "skills" vs "keeping up". Out of 10 divers, I'm the 6th one on the surface with 800 lbs left.

Now...for those of you still reading...everyone that hears this story tells me "you should tell someone" and "you're really lucky". I realized these things after my 2nd day/4th dive, and I retreated to the tourist activiteis on the island and contemplated the universe in an endless supply of rum punch.

I think I was a little lucky. Fortunately for me, I bought a dive computer (out of a bizzare set of circumstances) 2 weeks before my GC trip, and took it to my local rock quary to familiarize myself with it before the trip. If I didn't have that computer, I can guarantee this story would have had a different ending. I also had my instructors voice in my head repeating the drills we went through. I wasn't "comfortable" with my first blue water dive being at 100', but BOTH dive masters on the boat assured me I'd be OK and they'd "watch" me. The shop also told me I could leave my gear with them and they'd wash it and have it ready for the next day. Oddly... my regulator tasted like salt on day 2...maybe that's normal, but I'd assume a fresh water bath after the dive would have taken care of that; maybe the boats don't wash gear "daily".

I feel I have to take some responsibility for this story, which is why I decided not to continue diving and wait until I got back home and worked up my experience. In hindsite, I now see going to Grand Cayman for my first dive was probably about as smart as learning to fly in a 747. I should have done a better job finding a more "entry level friendly" dive shop...However, even as I write this, I'm not sure how I'd do that... I'm sure they'd all assure me; tourism is how they make their living...turning tourist away doesn't pay the bils...ethics or not. We (the begginners) have no choice but to trust the system and the certifications of those above us...how do you "know"?

Should I have aborted at the dock when discovered my first dive was 100'? Should I have rocked the boat about the non-buddy buddy they assigned me that was part of a larger group, and stayed on the boat for the 2nd dive?

Here's what I HAVE learned... I'm not going on another dive unless I _KNOW_ my dive buddy, or have had a chance to meet them first. I now believe that a disinterested dive buddy is the same same as a disfunctional regulator...I won't dive without either unless they've been equally tested. Next, I'm going to KNOW more about where I'm diving (somehow) before I go...and I won't dive with any shop that I don't know SOMEONE that has been diving with them; being new and short on contacts, this is easier said than done, and I don't want to be afraid of going in the water...but somewhere there has to be a way to "know". Maybe it's less of an issue if you're with someone you trust?

I did get some great pictures; fortunately none of them are of the bottom at 5000', nor are any from the inside of a decompression chamber.

Was my trip THAT bad?

 

[spectrum]

Well in terms of stress that quarry was probably pretty good training huh?

Getting caught up in dives to 100 feet wasn't the most prudent thing you could have done. I didn't catch when you were actually certified so how recent had you last dive been? The risk here was that when things go wrong at 100 feet there are fewer options and being the DMs tag-along puts you in a bad situation.

Your air consumption is a non issue at this point in your diving. Don't beat yourself up over that. Shallower dives will give you more bottom time and that's where you will see improvement.

You managed your air and it sounds like you controlled yourself through the dive.

As for the computer you should not have required any true deco stops. Your safety stops could be managed with the depth gauge and watch. If you really felt that dependent on the computer you may need to revisit some of the fundamentals.

If I had been you I would have booked some more appropriate boat dives or simply enjoyed shore diving.

Pete

BTW, Putting some detail in your ScubaBoard profile is always helpful.

 

[Hemlon]

Dive within your training/certification. Othwerwise, don't be shocked when/if trouble strikes. Many of us have done things such as this that you mentioned. Learn from it and strive to be a better diver in the future.

 

[sea nmf]

Well, your story isn't unique or uncommon.

I also, went to 130' relatively early in my diving infancy. I trained in Puget Sound and so also had that going for me. I had certtified through Rescue prior to my Belize trip where I went to 130'. I probably had 12 OW dives outside of training before I went. By the way, I did do a Deep Dive specialty prior to going because I knew I would be going to the Blue Hole.

I've also had buddies that completely ignored me and were in a hurry in the race during the dive to see who would be in the lead.

But you learned from this experience, which is one of the goals of each dive. You probably would have been OK without the computer but it is a cool tool. I mean, you had training in tables and they would have worked for you as well.

Don't stop diving, learn all the lessons you can from each dive, and enjoy yourself.

 

[k4man]

Echo the above posts. Hopefully this will be an eye-opener for you. There's nothing 'cool' about diving well beyond your experience, unless you're in the funeral home business.

Unfortunately, too many dive shops get away with this. Enjoy your diving and be safe.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

Welcome to Scubaboard....Keep diving just make sure you are in control.

 

[jchapman3]

I'm not sure why my profile text didn't stick... I did my confined water PADI certification in August 2006, and then did my open water cert the following week at a rock quary in Terrell Texas (with about 3' vis). At the point I hit the water in GC I had 10 logged dives under my belt; all in the same quarry. I visited the quary the week before I left for Grand Cayman where I learned to use my new BC, Regulator and Dive computer. (I won a Scubapro Mk25-AF/S600 regulator at a raffle during an Octoberfest party my Dive shop threw...With a regulator, that was the motivation I needed to purchase a complete setup.)

Thanks for the input; I hadn't stopped to consider "what I learned" until I wrote the post; (My trip to Grand Cayman was at the end of October 2006)...perhaps I learned more than I thought. I'm ready to go blow bubbles again, but I either need to find some warm water or upgrade my shortie for something a bit more covering and a bit thicker...

 

[DandyDon]

100 ft dive right off in the Caribe? Happens all the time, happened to me on my Discover Course near St.Kitts. Not good, but it's the Caribe. Rules are only suggestions. Key Largo is a better location for first time divers, IMO.

You went into Deco, really?! Or do you mean Safety Stop? I doubt that your air last long enough to go into Deco. Your experiences with boat pick buddies are typical, too - but your current reaction is not going to help. You need to become a more self sufficient diver, and have hard talks with any buddies: "Can I count on your to stay right with me, or is that too much to expect?"

If you haven't yet, click Forums above and start going thru the list - looking for those of interest to you, especially your local dive club. Always good to try a Search before starting a new thread, tho and be careful about posting Replies without reading the Stickies for each forum. Click the link in my Sig below to PM me if I can help you around here..

don

 

[jchapman3]

Ooops... need to get my lingo right... Just Safety stops...not Deco.

I think that's really the key though... "self sufficient"... your buddy should be your insurance policy... not your co-pilot. And, if it's someone you can share the trip with, that's a bonus. (That's an attitude change from my certification class. I'm not sure where the reverse of that came from...but...) I wasn't nearly "self sufficient" enough on that first day... On Day 2, I was more confident that the training had stuck, but I realized I was outside of my experience/comfort level.

I read a thread earlier today regarding emergency ascents and the difference between how it "used to be trained" and how it is now. Had I really gone into Deco, or that brand new rig (3rd dive) I had on my back, and in my mouth had failed at 100'...could I have made it safely to the surface?

Experience...comfort...confidence...self-sufficiency (is that a word?)... and time.

Thanks for the response.

 

[TSandM]

Your experiences aren't atypical at all. On my 10th dive, I was at 130 feet in Molokini crater. Nothing went wrong, but the scary part is how little I knew. Our dive guide was a PADI instructor, and he knew how new I was and seemed to think what we were doing was fine, so it was, wasn't it? I knew nothing of gas management, the concept of rock bottom was far in my future, and how I would cope with any malfunctions at that depth was far from my mind. The only thing I had going for me was that I didn't have an instabuddy.

I don't know what the answers to your questions are, except to try to sort them out before you get on the boat. Tell the operator how new you are, and that you would prefer to stay above 60 (or whatever you've decided) and see if they feel that can be accomodated.

And regarding buddy behavior, all you can do is try to have a talk before the dive with your assigned buddy and let that person know what behavior you hope to see from him. This is why some of us gravitate to training and groups where better buddy behavior is really strictly ingrained.